Recuse Yourself, You Can’t Investigate Me — Malami Tells EFCC Chairman, Alleges Vendetta, Political Witch-Hunt

Abuja,  Nigeria– Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has accused the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of pursuing a politically motivated vendetta against him, demanding that the anti-graft boss immediately recuse himself from any investigation or prosecution involving him.

In a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami described his ongoing detention, investigation and threatened prosecution by the EFCC as a “witch-hunt” allegedly triggered by his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Malami claimed that the EFCC’s actions were not driven by genuine law enforcement concerns but by “deep-seated historical animosity and malicious personal vendetta” on the part of the EFCC Chairman.

According to the statement, the roots of the alleged vendetta date back to Malami’s tenure as Attorney-General, when the Federal Government set up the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe allegations of corruption and abuse of office within the EFCC.

The current EFCC Chairman, Malami noted, served as Secretary to the commission.

“The Salami Report, which is in the public domain, contains serious findings implicating the present EFCC Chairman, particularly as detailed in Chapter 9 of the report, including recommendations for possible prosecution,” Malami said.

He argued that the present EFCC probe against him — which he alleged involves illegal detention, media trials and procedural abuses — bears the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution rather than a lawful investigation.

Malami further claimed that he had already been prejudged by the EFCC leadership and could not expect a fair, objective or lawful investigation under the current circumstances.

“Given this clear conflict of interest, Malami cannot receive a fair investigation or trial before the EFCC under its present leadership,” the statement added.

Malami formally demanded that the EFCC Chairman recuse himself from the matter and that the case be transferred to another appropriate government enforcement agency “to restore credibility, legality and public confidence.”

He also called on the Attorney-General of the Federation, as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, to intervene and ensure the EFCC Chairman steps aside to prevent what he described as the abuse of prosecutorial powers for personal or partisan ends.

Invoking Sections 35(3), (4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Malami insisted that the EFCC must either charge him to court within 24 hours or release him unconditionally.

He maintained that only a court of competent jurisdiction — and not what he termed “politically compromised agencies” — could lawfully and credibly adjudicate the allegations against him.

In a further escalation, Malami accused the EFCC of attempting to rely on individuals who have been convicted by foreign courts and are serving criminal sentences abroad as potential witnesses against him.

He described the move as “desperate and scandalous,” arguing that such individuals should ordinarily be subjects of extradition proceedings rather than being “weaponised” for what he called a domestic political agenda.

“This approach is corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system,” Malami warned.

Malami said his legal team had already initiated formal steps to protect his rights, including demands for Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the petitions said to have triggered the investigation — including petitions by Human and Environmental Agenda dated 11 September 2023 and Grassroot Advocacy for Peace and Good Governance.

He also demanded CTCs of the EFCC’s investigation report, which he said were essential for the preparation of his defence.

The former justice minister insisted he was not seeking any political deal or backroom settlement.

“Abubakar Malami, SAN, seeks no inducement and no alliance of convenience. His sole objective is to clear his name openly, transparently and decisively before a court of competent jurisdiction,” the statement read.

He warned that Nigeria must not be allowed to slide into a system where anti-corruption agencies are used as instruments of political intimidation or personal vendetta.

“The law must remain supreme — above politics, above power, and above persons,” Malami added.